Never Give Up
It’s funny how life seems to happen. And sometimes in the most bizarre ways.
For nine years you social isolate, so much in fact, you almost forget how to socialize.
You know you can’t go to Walmart, or candy stores or parks or even walk down the street safely. If there are crowds or lines or loud sounds it ain’t happening.
So, you adjust. You figure it out. You learn to live and keep going.
Then, suddenly, it seems to get easier. Not overnight. Far from it really. Instead after years of hard work and practice. All to help a little boy be successful and a family continue to live.
We visited Walmart today. Out of the blue. We didn’t practice or prepare for days before.
See, we needed paper. Not toilet paper. Construction paper of course. Three reams to be exact. All different colors. Cooper needed it for his joy and sanity. Two things that are very important to us. And honestly, we needed to get out of the house.
We braved people ramming shopping carts and fighting over Lysol at a very busy store. We were the only ones buying neon yellow paper and Pokémon cards. Go figure.
We waited for seven minutes to checkout. We were 5th in line. I sat with Cooper and counted to ten as many times as he would let me. We made it through. It was amazing. Because in my mind if you can brave Walmart during a rush…you can brave anything.
After we went to the coolest candy store. A store we could never go to during its typical crowded days. We were the only ones in there. Cooper picked out two pieces. Sawyer picked out two pounds. And I realized my baby was missing a shoe.
Then we visited a giant fish and grabbed a coffee and drove home. All with amazing success. All while Cooper hid 740 sheets of paper in the backseat.
I never in the last nine years ever thought that one day we’d be able to spontaneously drive to a store, visit a candy shop, walk around, and go home.
Life. It’s amazing like that.
My point is…parents, don’t give up. Let my boy be your inspiration.
And keep living. Keep going.
Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.
